#savingforthefuture

I really don’t like to do my weekly shopping.  I think that’s why I have found so many duplicate items in my pantry and closets.  Without a list it’s easy to buy duplicates, not buy the items you need and ultimately spend more than you should.  

The past couple of months I’ve taken a better look at what I am buying and why.  One of the first things I noticed is how small items have gotten over the years.  I couldn’t find a 1 pound package of bacon anywhere.  All the packages are 12 oz.  That’s a clever way of charging more for less.  After making this discovery I started noticing the sizes of all packaging.  Almost everything I purchase is a different size from “back in the day”.  This tells me that as consumers it’s easy to miss the changes and spend more of our hard earned money.

In addition everything comes: individual serving, precooked, easy to serve, etc. All this means is that it costs more.  If you calculate the true cost of the prepared lunch packages (crackers, cheese, turkey, small dessert).  This isn’t a bargain.  Does it really save us that much time and is it worth the expense?

I don’t think so.  It doesn’t take much time to open a package of turkey, cheese, crackers and brownies.  Then put them in baggies for our lunch.  It may have taken a few minutes but I saved money.  I also had exactly what I wanted in the lunch, not what came in the package.

Coupons......Are you really saving when you use the coupons that come with the Sunday paper?  Yes, if it is items that you normally purchase.  No if it is something that you purchased just because you had a coupon.  When using coupons are you looking for a similar item and comparing the price? Or are you just buying the item that goes with the coupon?

If you do use coupons for items that you use regularly then you have truly saved some money.  So to really make those savings mean something, when you get home review your receipt, take the coupon savings amount and put it into a savings account.  This is a great way to get into the SAVINGS habit.

At the end of every shopping trip take a look at your receipts and make sure that you were charged correctly.  Save the receipts for items that may need to be returned (gifts, items that could become defective, etc.).  Return anything that you realize that you shouldn’t have purchased.  I seem to do this a lot lately.  I try to control impulse buys but if I don’t, then I return the item for a refund.